As the seasons change, we at River City Youth Ops are preparing for a new year of empowering youth to become leaders in their community. You can help kick-start our season by sponsoring a youth participant and signing up for our veggie subscription.
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY EDUCATION
This year, we're collaborating with students, teachers, and parents to bring our hands-on education on farming, food justice, job skills and leadership into the classroom — and out into the community. Together with West Central schools, we're working to integrate Youth Ops programming with school curriculum.
To start, we've modeled our education and training after the restorative justice model practiced in Spokane Public Schools, which bolsters youths' skills in conflict resolution and accountability, and provides a safe and productive space to work and learn.
FINE-TUNING OUR FARMS
Youth Ops has partnered with the owners of CasaCano Farm to develop and improve each of our seven urban lots and our educational infrastructure.
At our hub farm in the heart of West Central, we're building a vegetable wash station, replacing raised beds and installing new farming beds to dramatically increase our growing space.
Main Market Co-Op has generously donated space in their rooftop greenhouse, allowing us to produce more plant starts earlier — and a jump start on growing great produce.
GROWING YOUTH LEADERS
This season, River City Youth Ops is proud to announce our new Youth Leadership Crew program for our older youth participants.
On the farm, we'll engage youth leaders in decision-making and empower them to lead younger participants.
Driven by our Leadership Crew, our lawn care services for West Central and Emerson-Garfield neighborhood residents now include garden bed prep, raised bed building, landscape planting, yard assessment and more. (If you live in the West Central neighborhood, you can get an estimate now for services starting later this spring!)
Along with these added responsibilities, the Leadership Crew will receive leadership training, take a trip to EWU's Challenge Course, and engage with their community.
YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT
We need your support to ensure young people in West Central get the community connection, mentorship and hands-on education they need to thrive.
By donating the cost paying a youth participant's stipend — for one week or the entire season — you make a direct impact in the life of a young person.
VEGGIE SUBSCRIPTION
Our urban farm is offering a 20-week veggie subscription full of healthy, fresh, and super-locally produce grown by youth in the West Central neighborhood.
By signing up for a veggie subscription, you kick-start our farming season!
